Clark County students cleared to start bringing own laptops, tablets to school

Sixth grader Tracy Arredondo, center, 10, sets up her new iPad with her father Adan Arredondo, left, at Ed Von Tobel Middle School in Las Vegas on Thursday, September 19, 2012. The Clark County School District’s “e3: Engage, Empower, Explore Project” provided iPads for all students and teachers at five Title I middle schools.

Clark County schools may allow students to bring their own laptops, smartphones and tablet computers to campus starting next year.

The issue: For years, the Clark County School District's technology policy has banned "cellphones, pagers/beepers or other similar electronic devices" from campuses.

However, as school systems across the country begin infusing more technology into classrooms, the School District began considering a "Bring Your Own Device" policy. After months of deliberation, the Clark County School Board took a vote on the issue Thursday.

The vote: Unanimous, 7-0

The impact: Clark County joins other major school districts in central Florida and near Houston and Atlanta in adopting a "Bring Your Own Device" or technology policy.

Proponents of a "BYOD" policy argue a 21st century education must not ban technology — which is pervasive at home and in the community — at the schoolhouse gates. They argue today's students are "digital natives" who must be educated with technology to thrive in a technology-driven world.

In response to the growing demand for technology nationally, the Clark County School District installed wi-fi networks in all of its schools. It also began piloting iPad programs.

Last year, the School District launched a major iPad initiative that placed 7,000 Apple tablet computers into the hands of students at five low-income middle schools. Next year, the district plans to expand the "Engage, Empower, Explore" iPad program to four more schools.

However, educators have realized these iPad programs are financially difficult to scale up, especially in large school districts.

Clark County's pilot iPad program two years ago cost the district nearly $800,000. Last year, Clark County used about about $2.5 million in federal funding to pay for the "Engage, Empower, Explore" program.

By allowing students to bring their own devices, the School District will save money in the long run while still promoting a digital education.

"It's a big paradigm shift for our district and it's in the right direction," said School Board member Chris Garvey.

Students may bring personal cell phones, laptops, tablet computers and other similar electronic devices to campus.

During the school day, students may only use them with the approval of the principal. Students must access the Internet using the School District's wi-fi networks, which have filters to block out inappropriate content.

Students may not use their digital devices to interfere or disrupt the classroom, access websites that aren't relevant to the curriculum and engage in commercial activities.

Students who use their digital devices to cyberbully other students, send inappropriate messages such as "sexts" and plagiarize or violate intellectual property laws will be disciplined.

Although proponents of "BYOD" hailed the School Board's decision to drop its technology ban, there are many skeptics of the policy.

Critics have argued teachers may find it difficult to teach students who bring a wide range of technology devices. They also worry about cheating and whether low-income students may be left behind in a digital classroom.

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Previous Discussion: 6 comments so far…

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Sounds like a wonderful, progressive change, right? Not quite.My daughter's high school was part of the pilot program to provide the iPads. Before we made our decision, I observed the class using the iPads. I sat in the back of the class, in full view of the student's screens. There was a lot more going on besides Algebra on those tablets, and the teacher had no idea. When I brought this up to the principal, he compared it to passing notes in class, and stated there was nothing they could do to prevent students from doing other activities during class. Also, parents were required to sign a contract stating they were financially responsible for the iPad, to the amount of $600. Should the iPad get lost, stolen, or broken, we would have to pay. At that time, no insurance policy was offered. Lastly, my daughter reported to us that more than one student she knew managed to break through the filter and access porn on the iPad. We opted out of the program, and my daughter was provided a textbook SIX WEEKS later after I demanded one. CCSD needs to do much more than provide wifi access if this is going to enhance learning.

This is the technology age. The use of technology in the classroom should be encouraged.

Classroom management is the key. Behavior expectations and consequences must be clear. With the collaboration among teachers, parents, and school administration, there is no reason use of technology in the classroom cannot be successful.

We cannot be forever policing our children so they do good. They must learn how to be good not because someone is watching, but because it is the right thing to do. When they are adults, we won't be there anymore to police them. They MUST learn how to police themselves.

We must learn how to trust our children. They will try and they will make mistakes. It is how we teach them to do right on which we must focus.

Sad Teacher has a point. This is the techology age and the kids need to be brought up to speed. My only question would be WHO will be responsible for the student accessing sites other than what they are supposed to? Will it be the teacher or the CCSD? Either one has to take responsibility for this one as the parents won't be around to monitor it.

Ms. Augustin does have a point, as she always does. However, she must teach younger children than I. No, we cannot be forever policing, but that is what will be demanded of us, on top of everything else, and we won't be able to do it, just as we cannot force kids to learn.

The behavior policies on this would need to be strict - and that will never happen here. The inmates are running the asylum, and that's one of the reasons the achievement is so low. Parents complain about anything and everything and are treated like VIP's whose every whim is golden. Kids can do no wrong.

Yes, the kids need it. But you know what the kids need more? Discipline, and, as Ms. Augustin says, self-discipline. That comes from a variety of places, and one of those places is observing adults. When adults scream and wave their hands around for the most idiotic reasons, when they bully and are treated like they're little kings and queens, it doesn't exactly teach their kids self-discipline. Quite the opposite.

Yes, have the devices - but have the guts to enforce a strict usage policy. And don't expect the teachers to be able to watch what every kid is doing every second. But that will be expected, too, just as so many impossible standards are placed on teachers while the kids goof off.

This policy is going to be a mess, because this district is poorly run. I hope the superintendent has some common sense and the guts to go with it.

I think the policy change will create more probelms then it solves, though I do applaud the initiative. Loss & damage will be daily problem, and what exactly they'll be used for sounds fuzzy (suggesting teachers & administrators don't have much of a clue). And they probably need to to become standard, especially if used in lieu of textbooks (I'm sure Apple or someone could come up with a finance plan so families could buy them for their children and/or discounted prices for buying large quantities every year.)

It might be better to limit their use in the classroom and use them more for doing independent work outside the classroom. Text books, reading assignments, and worksheets, could all be offered electronically via PDF files; and online interactive learning sites could also be tapped, even in other languages, which might help with learning & classroom management.

Yes, I agree with "teacher." That's why we have the disruptive filter to keep the little kiddies from accessing pornography. The filter is one of the hardest things I come in contact with. I teach computer/technology classes everyday. Facebook, Twitter and the like are all tools in technology...but we can't access them because it's the school district's responsibility to keep kids from doing wrong. Not the parents...it's us. Oh, by the way, when the filter fails to allow the kids to access their desired site, they just use their phone. Compare us to other school districts, they don't filter their schools. Alta High School in Utah allows open internet. If a student accesses a pornographic site, then they should be disciplined. Don't punish the whole district for a couple students who can't control their urges.

I agree whole-heartedly with the previous comments suggesting parental involvement. Parents, your precious baby sometimes does bad things. Be involved. Yes, an iPad is an expensive tool. But so is that textbook we purchase for them.

The Clark County School District is so backwards when it comes to technology! Interact, our e-mail system is awful, the WiFi is awful. Network Services is awful. So, the iPad thing will come...and go, as does everything related to the CCSD.

What we should do is add it to the required list of supplies. UNLV doesn't give out equipment, but students are free to bring their personal devices and connect to the school's resources. The CCSD needs to model after UNLV. Allow students to access their personal files from home, allow students to register online (I can't believe students still register using paper!) We are heading in the right direction, though at a glaciers pace.

I'm fairly confident new superintendent, Pat Skorkowski, will bring this district to the place it should be. We are the fifth largest school district in America! Let's start acting like it and stop acting like we are a tiny school district in the outlaw section of Nevada.

BTW, my kids go to a private school where they already use laptops etc to help teach, but they stay at school so that they don't have to worry about getting robbed leaving school. Encouraging kids to bring their expensive electronics to school would be a great idea if we didn't have gangs, illegals, and criminals on our streets that prey on such items. But we do. So it isn't.

The schools receiving ipads have high Hispanic populations AND high free/reduced lunch populations. The schools with only high free/reduced lunch populations don't have them-yet.These children will be exposed to more than 3000 hours of wifi over the course of 3 years spent at middle school.These wifi systems are much stronger than the systems found in homes because hundreds of devices are operated at the same time.In May 2011, the World Health Organization elevated exposure to wireless radiation, including wifi, onto the Class 2b list of Carcinogens.In October 2012, the American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM) issued a public warning about wifi in schools. In September 2010, the Journal of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine-Fertility & Sterility,reported that only four hours of exposure to a standard laptop using wifi caused DNA damage to human sperm. In December 2012, the American Academy of Pediatrics,wrote to Congress requesting it update the safety levels of microwave radiation exposure especially for children & pregnant women.A search for "wifi" on the National Institute of Health.gov website brings forth multiple studies that found harmful effects from wifi.I contacted 1 principal with this info BEFORE 7000 children were exposed for more than 1000 hours last year.I have since contacted 1 more Principal, 1 CCSD School Board Trustee- who contacted CCSD Environmental Services, & CCSD Health Services & had them contact me. I sent them CD's with multiple downloaded documents on them.CCSD Health Services seemed very concerned.I will contact someone from the Hispanic Community/News next.Even the schools without ipads have had their wifi upgraded in case funds become available for ipads in the future. The wifi systems will already be in place. I encourage everyone to search "wifi in schools" on youtube for more information.The upgraded systems have cones placed in the ceilings to focus the signal down into the classrooms. Some people say "we just don't know if wifi is harmful to children"- if that is the case, why would anyone expose poor & Hispanic children to more than 3000 hours of wifi? I wanted this info disclosed to parents so that they could do their own research & make informed decisions for their children. Follow the Corporate Welfare Money....